On 1/29/21 8:30 AM, Pete Turnbull via cctalk wrote: > On 29/01/2021 15:51, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote: >> I have learned that Bakelite insulating is phenol and formaldehyde with >> embedded asbestos. Does anyone have any Bakelite insulation in any of >> their vintage computers? > > *Some* Bakelite contains asbestos. The primary filler is commonly wood > flour. I worked with the Estates' asbestos team at a university and we > found that a lot of Bakelite does not contain any asbestos. The trouble > is, you can't tell without proper analysis.
I suspect that any danger from asbestos-reinforced Bakelite in computers is very minimal, as the stuff usually isn't machined to any extent and isn't used as a friction surface. I doubt that a Bakelite lamp socket, switch body or terminal strip, for example sheds much of the fiber during its normal operating life. Unlike, for example, automotive brake linings. --Chuck